Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Bob and Marcel are two Belgian alcoholics stumbling aimlessly through life, losing their families, their dignity and their balance - but never each other - in this none-more-vérité documentary. Bleak but tragically comedic, it's a tough watch because for all the pair's blustery talk about one day committing joint suicide, you can literally see them killing themselves on screen over the course of the film. It begs the question about how far documentarians should interfere with their subjects when they're clearly putting themselves - and others - in danger, but if this film says anything, it's that some people don't want help, no matter how much they need it.

Languid and sparse (the most eventful moments happen off-camera, apart from an amusing incident with an overfull water bottle), Ne Me Quitte Pas requires patience and an open mind, and even then it won't be for everyone. Bob and Marcel are painfully real, often to the point of tedium, but their problems are real too, and chances are you'll recognise someone you know in their everyday struggle to get by.